Chronology of temple riots as explained by Muhyiddin in Parliament

PARLIAMENT | Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today made a ministerial statement to the Dewan Rakyat, shedding light on the sequence of events at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple on Monday and Tuesday.

On the first day, the developer attempted to enforce the temple's relocation by hiring men to secure the building, resulting in clashes and subsequent rioting.

The second round of rioting took place on Tuesday, where a Fire and Rescue Department personnel was allegedly attacked and seriously injured (see full chronology below).

Following the incident, Muhyiddin said concurrent investigations are ongoing under "Ops Seafield".

He also revealed that police have arrested 30 individuals comprising 24 Malays, five Indians and one Chinese. Police have also recorded statements from 34 people.

Noting that men were hired to secure the temple, Muhyiddin said police have also identified a number of individuals who were responsible and they will be summoned for questioning.

Among the items seized were also 21 torched cars and six torched motorcycles, a knife and two machetes as well as seven pairs of shoes and three vests.

He said the incident was being investigated under Section 435, Section 148, Section 324, Section 447, Section 427 and Section 124G under the Penal Code as well as Section 6(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958.

Section 435 under the Penal Code concerns mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage.

Section 148 is in regards to the possession of weapons at a riot and Section 324 concerns voluntarily causing hurt by the use of dangerous weapons.

Section 447 of the Penal Code covers criminal trespass, Section 124G is on the distribution of material containing incitement of violence while Section 6(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958 is on the use of corrosive or explosive substances or weapons.

Chronology of events

Muhyiddin added that with regard to the attack on Adib, the matter is being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder.

"The police is conducting a professional investigation by fully utilising forensic and scientific methods.

"To this end, a special team from the Bukit Aman forensics lab has been stationed at the Selangor police headquarters to facilitate investigations.

"The police also welcomes cooperation from the public by channelling information to help with the investigation," he said.

He added that the police will also investigate viral news on the incident to verify their authenticity.

The following is the chronology provided by the minister:

Nov 26

2.40am - Subang Jaya district police headquarters receive complaints of disturbances at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple. All units are ordered to the site.

2.50am - Four police multi-purpose vehicle arrive at the temple but were prevented from entering. A parked tanker blocks entry into the temple. One of the police vehicle's rear windscreen is smashed.

3.30am - Subang Jaya district police chief calls for back up from the Federal Reserve unit and Serdang district police headquarters.

4am - 99 officers from Serdang district police headquarters arrive at the scene.

While police backup are on the way, fights between hired men and devotees in the temple break out. Some of the hired men flee the scene. The devotees then torch what they believe are the hired men's vehicles.

4.38am - The Fire and Rescue Department receives a call about the fire from the torching and arrives 25 minutes later.

5.30am - The Federal Reserve Unit comprising two officers and 201 personnel arrives. The situation is brought under control. Three hired men, three devotees and a police personnel are injured.

Nov 27

Some 10,000 supporters gather around the temple. Some within the group start rioting and torching vehicles.

Fire and Rescue Department personnel try to put out the fire but are attacked. One personnel, Mohammad Adib Mohammad Kassim, is beaten up.

Some rioters also attack MCT Tower, where One City Development Sdn Bhd's office is located.

Source : https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/453915

Unruly crowd not locals, former Seafield temple committee chief says

The unruly crowd outside the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Subang Jaya in the wee hours today were not locals, a former temple committee chief said.

M Nagaraju added that the crowd refused to listen to instructions.

"We tried to advise them, but they refused to listen to us.

"We understand their anger, but this is not the way to react," he said.

The thousand-strong crowd had torched the wreckage of two cars and a factory, while also attacking a fire truck responding to the blaze. 

Some 300 then marched to the nearby One City mall complex, and attacked the office of the developer which owns the land the temple is on.

At least one other car was also damaged by rioters.

Devotees had gathered outside the temple in USJ25 for a second night to protect it from demolition.

Yesterday, they were accosted by some 50 men according to police, leading to violent scuffles.

The temple was supposed to have been relocated on Nov 22.

Plans to relocate the temple have been ongoing since 2007, after the land it is located on was purchased by One City Development Sdn Bhd.

In 2014, a consent judgment was entered into in court, where One City and two rival camps vying for control of the temple agreed to relocate it to a plot of land three kilometres away.

One City had also donated RM1.5 million to the temple as part of the settlement agreement.

However, devotees have continued to resist efforts to relocate the temple, which was built in 1891.

Source : https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/453546

It was not a racial clash - temple priest calls for calm

The fracas at the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Subang Jaya this morning was not a racial clash, said the temple's priest S Jayakumar (above).

"I appeal to all quarters, including Hindus in Malaysia, to be patient and not make provocative statements on social media.

"I wish to stress it was not a racial riot but the cruel action of those who want to demolish this temple," he told Malaysiakini.

As for the two intruders who were injured, Jayakumar said this happened when the pair angered the devotees in the temple.

"One of them stepped on a statue while another damaged a lamp with a parang. These were the two who were assaulted," he claimed.

Meanwhile, K Selvam (photo), one of those held at knifepoint by the intruders, claimed that the latter was acting on orders from outsiders.

"The person leading the group was repeatedly calling someone to explain what was happening and to receive new instructions.

"To my knowledge, they took five of us hostage to move the statues. However, this failed when the temple people retaliated," he told Malaysiakini.

Selvam claimed that he also saw a parking card from a firm implicated in the incident.

Earlier, MIC president SA Vigneswaran visited the temple and donated RM20,000. He also said the incident should not be politicised.

As of 5pm, there were still some 500 people at the temple grounds.

A Subang resident, who wished to be identified only as Nathan, said he has been at the temple since 7am to show his support.

Source :https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/453515

Cops: Seafield temple fights erupted after group of 50 accosted devotees

The fighting at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in USJ 25, Subang Jaya earlier this morning erupted after a heated exchange between devotees and a group of 50 people, police said.

"Our initial findings found that there were 50 men (of other races) in the temple compound, while there were a group of Indians monitoring the area outside the temple gate.

"The two groups traded insults and dares, after which there was a clash between the two sides," Selangor police chief Mazlan Mansor said at a press conference today.

He said after the clashes the group of 50 fled from the temple. Two of them were injured.

In the scuffles, he said 18 vehicles, including two motorbikes, were also torched. However, damage at the temple was minimal, he said.

Mazlan said police also found weapons, including machetes, at the scene.

"I warn everyone to be calm, and leave this matter to the police.

"Don't take the law into your own hands. We are here to protect the situation," he said. As of noon, seven suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident, he added. 

According to Mazlan, 738 Federal Reserve Unit officers were dispatched to the scene after police were alerted to the fighting, and the case is being investigated for trespassing, rioting and treachery.

Mazlan added it was too early to say what the motive of the men intruding the temple was.

Probe for racial provocation

Meanwhile, a Selangor state executive councillor called on police to investigate an alleged attempt to create racial tensions in the temple flare-up.

"The attack by a group of gangsters shows there are attempts to create disharmony among the races who have been living peacefully all these while," V Ganabatirau, the Selangor Socio-Economic Empowerment and Development and Caring Government Committee Exco member said in a statement today.

"I urge police to investigate thoroughly on this incident and provide necessary protection to the civilians in accordance with Article 11 of our Constitution," he added.

Article 11 enshrines freedom of religion in Malaysia.

Devotees had reportedly gathered at the temple to protect it from demolition when they were met by the outside group.

The temple was supposed to have been relocated on Nov 22.

Plans to relocate the temple have been ongoing since 2007, after the land it is located on was purchased by One City Development Sdn Bhd.

In 2014, a consent judgment was entered into in court, where One City and two rival camps vying for control of the temple agreed to relocate it to a plot of land three kilometres away.

One City had also donated RM1.5 million to the temple as part of the settlement agreement.

However, devotees have continued to resist efforts to relocate the temple, which was built in 1891.

Source : https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/453447

'Intruders held temple chairperson, four others at knifepoint'

The group that attacked the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Subang Jaya held several temple committee members, including its chairperson, as hostages, alleged a spokesperson for the committee.

Elangovan Annamalai told Malaysiakini that some 200 people were involved in the incident. Police, however, estimated the number to be around 50.

"The incident happened at about 2.10am. The intruders entered the temple grounds and hurt the devotees who were spending the night there.

"They claimed that the land (belonged to the developer) and demanded that we leave.

"They held five committee members hostage, including our chairperson (who is only known as) Ramaji. They held a parang to his neck," claimed Elangovan.

Malaysiakini has contacted the developer in question for comment.

The spokesperson alleged that the police only arrived at 4.30am and did not act until another group of devotees tried to chase out the intruders.

"We are disappointed (with the police). They were not fair. We have the video recordings to back our claim," he said.

Elangovan also refuted suggestions that the fracas involved two Indian groups.

He said many of the intruders had dropped their personal possessions during the clash and he could, therefore, prove that the group was made up of other races.

Two individuals were seriously injured during the fracas and 18 vehicles were torched.

Initially, the police claimed that the violence stemmed from a misunderstanding involving two groups. However, the police later identified who the assailants were.

Damage to the temple itself, according to the police, was minimal. The police said they also found weapons at the scene.

Source : https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/453455

Temple politics threatening to derail relocation agreed on 4 years ago

SUBANG JAYA: A developer that owns a plot of land occupied by a Hindu temple in a corner of Subang Jaya is now in a fix, as an internal dispute between two parties in the temple is threatening a deviation from a court’s consent order requiring them to relocate.

The Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Seafield, USJ 25, is due for relocation as part of a win-win court solution.

Now, one of the parties to the case is refusing to abide by the relocation order recorded in the High Court in 2014.


One City Development, the company which owns the private land, said it hoped to see a peaceful conclusion to the issue.

“We have done everything we can to make sure everyone is happy and we just want to move on,” its director Yaw Sheng Fung told FMT.

Besides One City, the case involved the Selangor state government and two claimants to the temple management, K Chellappa and M Nagaraju, who eventually agreed to hand back the land to One City after the company agreed to donate RM1.5 million to build a new temple on a nearby plot.

Chellappa and Nagaraju had earlier been locked in another court battle over control of the temple.
Chellappa was subsequently declared the lawful party to manage the temple. However, Nagaraju has refused to comply with the court order.

Yaw said his company had spared no expense to ensure a peaceful resolution.

Initially, the temple was to be relocated to a small plot of land measuring 15,000 sq ft at USJ 25, but the temple management later decided it was better to move to a bigger plot of land in USJ 23, measuring over one acre.

The temple agreed to give up its rights to the plot of land in USJ 25 in exchange for an extra RM1 million given by One City for the benefit of the temple.

“I believe we have done everything by the book and have been considerate and fair to all parties. We complied with all legal processes, we engaged all the stakeholders from the temple management to the authorities, we have done our best to facilitate the relocation of the temple,” said Yaw.


It was previously reported that a tense standoff over the relocation of the temple on Oct 26 had been diffused after One City agreed to postpone the relocation to a later date.


Source : https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2018/11/12/temple-politics-threatening-to-derail-relocation-agreed-on-4-years-ago/

Temple relocation on court orders - Ganabatirau

The Selangor government never ordered the demolition of the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in USJ 25, Subang Jaya.

In saying this, V Ganabatirau, who is the chairperson of the State Socio-Economic Empowerment and Development and Caring Government Committee, said four parties, through a consent judgment on March 11, 2014, at the Shah Alam High Court, agreed to the relocation of the temple and return the present temple site vacant to the owner.

The four parties are the state government; owner of the temple site One City Development Sdn Bhd and two individuals claiming to be the temple administrators K. Chellappa and M. Nagaraju, he said.

Chellappa had filed an objection to the move by One City to take back the temple site in 1996.

Ganabatirau (right) said that in the consent judgment, One City agreed to deposit RM1.5 million with the temple, and it is learned that the money was deposited with the temple lawyer.

The state government then handed over a 0.4-hectare piece of land, located about three kilometres away, for the relocation of the temple, he said at a press conference in Shah Alam today.

Ganabatirau said he believes that the relocation of the temple was politicised by some irresponsible people when the court decided that Chellappa is the valid administrator of the temple.

This decision was not agreed to by Nagaraju who objected to the relocation of the temple and alleged that the state government had ordered the demolition of the house of worship, he said.

“This is not true because the order to relocate the temple came from the court and the state government has to abide by the order,” he said.

Source - Bernama

Seafield temple demolition postponed again, following fresh protests

The demolition of the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in USJ 25, Subang Jaya, has been put off yet again, following fresh protests by devotees.

At the crack of dawn, dozens of devotees started converging at the temple's compound, after receiving social media messages that the temple was going to be demolished.

More than 100 policemen, including Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel, were also present at the location, after One City Development Sdn Bhd, which owns the land housing the purportedly 147-year-old temple, made preparations to demolish it.

However, the landowner agreed to postpone the demolition to Nov 22, after deliberating for more than two hours with the temple management and the Malaysia Hindu Sangam. Deputy Rural Development Minister R Sivarasa, as well as Senator T Mohan and Sentosa assemblyperson Gunaraj George, were also present.

"After discussions, the developer (One City) has agreed to postpone the demolition until Nov 22. I, together with Gunaraj, as representatives of the Pakatan Harapan (government), will also arrange a meeting with Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari before Nov 22," he told the devotees after the negotiations.

Sivarasa also confirmed that the temple’s management will henceforth, be taken over by a special task force, led by Hindraf activist "Ramaji", whose real name is M Ramachandran.

"After this, all decisions concerning to the temple will be made by the task force," added Sivarasa.

The temple is purported to have been constructed by Indian estate workers back in 1891, and a fig tree – considered sacred to Hindus – at the location, is said to be at least 147 years old.

The land housing the temple was, however, was bought over by One City Development in 2007.

In a statement, two days ago, the temple management's committee president KK Chellapa said that a bigger plot of land in USJ23 had been allocated to relocate the temple, and that One City had agreed to allocate RM1.5 million to rebuild it.

Chellapa said that in a consent judgment in 2014, all stakeholders, including rival claimant to the post of temple committee chief, M Nagaraj, had agreed for the temple to be relocated.

However, Nagaraj is currently on a hunger strike, claiming his grandfather had built the temple structure then, and several Indian NGOs have backed up his cause in calling for the temple to stay at its current location.

They have called on the state government to step in and save the temple, on a historical and religious basis.

Earlier today, the devotees fumed at Indian leaders, namely four ministers (Gobind Singh Deo, P Waythamoorthy, Dr Xavier Jeyakumar, and M Kulasegaran) and Selangor exco V Ganabathirau, for allegedly not speaking up in the matter.

The situation also became tense when several individuals in the group started accusing Chellapa of being a sell-out.

Speaking to the devotees later, Ramaji stressed that the task force will never ever give in.

"I would like to stress that we will never move out from here. Whatever happens, we will defend the temple," he said to applause from the crowd.

Source :https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/448990

Hindu hardliners defy court order, stop women entering temple in India

Conservative Hindu groups prevented women from entering an Indian hill temple on Wednesday, in defiance of India’s top court which says a centuries-long ban at the holy site is illegal.

Kerala’s industry minister EP Jayarajan told reporters that 10 journalists, five devotees and 15 police officers were attacked by protesters and 10 buses were damaged. Police have registered cases against more than 50 people, local media reported.

For centuries, the Sabarimala temple in Kerala state has banned women or girls older than 10, but that was judged illegal by India’s Supreme Court which ruled last month that it infringed the right to worship.

Kerala’s Communist government pledged to uphold the ruling and deployed some 500 police, including 100 women officers, to the site.

“Nobody will be allowed to prevent anybody. We will do everything possible to implement the law of the land,” said inspector-general of police Manoj Abraham. “None will be allowed to take the law into their hands.”

But while thousands of bare-chested men entered the temple with offerings of tumeric and incense when it opened at 5pm for the first time since the court decision, there were no signs of any women going in.

Footage from CNN News 18 showed police chasing protesters through dense forest near Nilakkal, the main entry point to the temple, which is about 18km further away. The protesters had been throwing stones, the channel reported.

PK Sanjeev of Dharma Sena, one of the main groups organising the protests, said they were happy women had been prevented from entering.

“We will not be deterred by the police high-handedness and will continue with the protests,” he told Reuters.

Hardline Hindu groups have threatened to commit mass suicide to prevent women from going to the temple, in what has become a focal point for the debate on women’s rights in India.

The groups, that include Shiv Sena, a former ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, say the prohibition on women “of menstrual age” is required to appease the temple’s chief deity, Ayyappan, depicted as a yoga-practising god considered eternally celibate by followers.

Kerala’s government said it would impose an emergency law for two days starting on Thursday, barring groups of more than four people assembling within a 30 km radius from the temple

Kerala’s tourism minister K Surendran appealed to protesters not to “convert this holy land into a battlefield”.

A family of four from Andhra Pradesh state, including at least one woman, were shielded by police after protesters shouting slogans prevented them from reaching the temple.

Protesters smashed the windows of a car carrying a female journalist from CNN News 18, footage from the channel showed.

“It was shocking that officers were there doing nothing,” the reporter, Radhika Ramaswamy, said. “Protesters had free rein, attacking our vehicle.”

PK Sanjeev of Dharma Sena, one of the main groups organising the protests, said they were happy women had been prevented from entering.

“We will not be deterred by the police high-handedness and will continue with the protests,” he told Reuters.

Hardline Hindu groups have threatened to commit mass suicide to prevent women from going to the temple, in what has become a focal point for the debate on women’s rights in India.

The groups, that include Shiv Sena, a former ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, say the prohibition on women “of menstrual age” is required to appease the temple’s chief deity, Ayyappan, depicted as a yoga-practising god considered eternally celibate by followers.

Kerala’s government said it would impose an emergency law for two days starting on Thursday, barring groups of more than four people assembling within a 30 km radius from the temple

Kerala’s tourism minister K Surendran appealed to protesters not to “convert this holy land into a battlefield”.

A family of four from Andhra Pradesh state, including at least one woman, were shielded by police after protesters shouting slogans prevented them from reaching the temple.

Protesters smashed the windows of a car carrying a female journalist from CNN News 18, footage from the channel showed.

“It was shocking that officers were there doing nothing,” the reporter, Radhika Ramaswamy, said. “Protesters had free rein, attacking our vehicle.”

Source : - Reuters

Indian actor wishes the best to 'beacon of hope' Anwar in PD polls

Indian film actor-turned-politician Kamal Hassan (above) has released a YouTube video, extending his best wishes to Pakatan Harapan candidate Anwar Ibrahim, for tomorrow's Port Dickson by-election.

In the one-minute, 46 second video uploaded yesterday, both in Tamil, and English, Kamal describes the PKR president-elect as an exemplary leader, and a beacon of hope.

The video starts: "I'm extremely happy to know that my friend Anwar Ibrahim has been released from unjust imprisonment, and has been granted a royal pardon. Bravo.

"In a global political climate that craves for exemplary leaders [...] who have the perfect understanding of the underdogs; Anwar is that perfect example, and a beacon of hope," he said.

Kamal then said Port Dickson has an opportunity "of writing a great chapter in the history of Malaysia, by bringing Anwar back to parliament, and to the nation, at large, where he deserves to be".

The actor also said that with Anwar's ascent to the top office of the country, Indian-Malaysian relationship is bound to grow stronger.

"On this occasion, I am glad to wish Anwar, and the people of Malaysia, the very best, as they embark upon this journey. My party, Makkal Neethi Maiyam (People's Justice Centre) also wishes them the very best in their political journey," he said.

Kamal, 63, is a veteran of the Tamil movie industry - having started his appearance as a child artist in the 1960s. Apart from acting, he also directs, produces, sings and writes lyrics, as well as screenplays.

He is the second biggest name in the Tamil cinema, after "Superstar" Rajnikanth.

In February this year, he started his political party, vowing it would be the first step towards the "people's rule".

This is not the first occasion that Tamil movie actors have been seen as acquainted with Malaysian political leaders.

Back in March 2017, Rajnikanth hosted former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak at his house in Chennai, during the latter's visit to India.

Najib had even posted a selfie he had taken with Rajnikanth, on his Twitter account then.

Najib also returned the favour in January this year, hosting Rajnikanth at his official residence in Putrajaya, when the latter was in Malaysia for a cultural show.

Source : https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/447051

Whither billions stolen under the guise of Indian quota?

COMMENT | Let me first declare that I am not a politician, nor am I a member of any political party. I write this as a concerned Malaysian and a keen observer of the rapidly changing climate of fighting corruption in Malaysia Baru.

Malaysian Indians contribute to some of the highest incidences of gang-related violence and other misdemeanours. They also constitute a high proportion of the significantly under-privileged in Malaysian society.

There have been several attempts to systematically uplift this community with the financial backing from the government of the day. Up until 2003, all government backing was routed via a single political party, MIC. Post-2004, however, the fourth-floor rabble was established in the PM's Office. And, with this, the government backing for the Malaysian Indians began to get diversified.

The Najib (Abdul Razak) era began to see the dilution of the backing via a slew of newly established political parties, NGOs and highly placed luminaries who were close to Najib, his wife, senior civil servants and the fourth-floor rabble.

While we may raise demands to review the excesses that MIC had taken without funnelling back to the community, we must first stop to consider the actual dilution that had been affected by the fourth-floor rabble.

The funds that Najib had handed to the community via the fourth-floor rabble was even bigger than the funds handed by any previous administration for the cause of uplifting the Indian community. But, how much was actually funnelled to the community and how much actually ended up in the hands of the few luminaries? The way I see it, a mere 2-5 percent ended up with the community, MIC took 10 percent, and the rest, 85 percent or so, was happily held by these luminaries who became overnight billionaires.

The list of these luminaries would not exceed 10-15 individuals who are seen as beacons of the Malaysian Indian community. These are the few Malaysian Indian Tan Sris, Datuk Seris and Datuks who received numerous aviation, rail, port, infrastructure, low-cost housing and broadcasting contracts that should have ultimately helped the Indian community but only ended up increasing the individual net worth of these luminaries. All handed on a direct award basis under the guise of the Malaysian Indian quota.

Maika, Tony Fernandes and Nazir Razak

One good case example is the Maika sale to help re-pay poor Maika investors.

Maika held an unutilised insurance license. This could have been monetized by Maika themselves in order to repay Maika investors. But instead, the fourth-floor rabble had to intervene to bring in a so-called “white knight”, to stand in as intermediaries while the actual license was sold to none other than Tony Fernandes and Nazir Razak who ultimately listed the entity and walked away with a tidy sum of money.

The poor Maika investors got a minuscule payout while these luminaries significantly increased their individual net worth with a dormant Maika asset.

Why couldn't Maika have sold the asset directly to Fernandes and Nazir in the first place? Was the introduction of the “white knight” merely to handle future payouts for the various luminaries and the fourth-floor rabble?

Another case example is the Malaysian Indian Blueprint unveiled by Najib in April 2017.

While it could be hailed as a nice effort on the part of Najib, one should ask who really benefitted from this? Who was the consultant brought in to write a blueprint with no specific or measurable action items? How much was paid to this consultant? What criteria was used to distribute the Sedic and Seed funds? Who were the real beneficiaries of these funds? How much has the net worth of the individuals heading Sedic and Seed grown with the establishment of these individual units?

It is a well-known fact that several senior most civil servants in Malaysia highlighted by Najib himself during the launch of the Malaysian Indian Blueprint were actually business partners of some of the above Tan Sris and Datuks.

The key modus operandi was to have intimate business meetings in the private rooms of Madras Cafe in Jalan Ipoh, KL. Lucrative business deals were consummated between these luminaries and these civil servants over a hot masala chai specially made by the proprietors of Madras Cafe.

Let us not overlook the fact that the primary consideration for these luminaries to secure these major rail infrastructure, aviation infrastructure, port infrastructure, broadcasting, or advertising contracts on a direct appointment basis was not the individual luminaries' business background or their stellar credentials. It was their proximity to Najib's power-base, the business relationship with the particular senior most civil servants, the cosy relationship with the fourth-floor rabble and the fact that they were utilising the Malaysian Indian quota.

The resultant effect was that these luminaries made billions of ringgit, the senior civil servants grew their individual net worth, the fourth-floor rabble got their fair share.

But, how many Malaysian Indian small and medium businessmen got sub-contracts from these large deals? How many Malaysian Indian professionals got high paying jobs? How many Malaysian Indian educational institutions got sizeable grants? How many Malaysian Indian students got scholarships? The list of questions abounds.

What I am highlighting here is the tip of an iceberg of financially lucrative programmes that have been hijacked by the few who have used their know-who as opposed to know-how. These were actually financially lucrative projects that were ultimately meant to help uplift the marginalised Indian community. Unscrupulous individuals have greedily hijacked funds that were meant to help this community, all under the guise of the Malaysian Indian quota.

Forensic audit of all funds allocated

Fighting the scourge of corruption is a major priority of the Malaysian electorate. There must be a clarion call from society at large to stop rent-seekers from stealing funds meant to uplift marginalised Malaysian communities. We must immediately call for a forensic audit of all funds that were allocated by the previous administration(s) in the name of uplifting the Indian community.

We must ascertain if these funds were indeed utilised to help uplift the community as opposed to self-enrichment.

Let us not seek fresh funds to be allocated from the government of the day until we have a salient plan to claw-back the funds from the above-mentioned luminaries, the heads of Sedic and Seed, and the fourth-floor rabble as a genuine example of reforming the Malaysian Indian community.

Let us institute tangible actions that will help to economically progresses this community. Let us apply true governance as we drive the economic reform of this community under the new dawn of Malaysia Baru.

Let us avoid, yet again, being misdirected by the very wolves in sheep skin who used the Malaysian Indian quota to steal the funds handed to improve the economic status of this community. Let us stay vigilant lest these individuals enact a silent getaway to safe havens to enjoy their stolen wealth.

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RAVINDRAN DEVAGUNAM is the former director of fighting corruption, PEMANDU, JPM.

Source : https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/434433